CS/HB 1127 Summary

• Requires the Department of Education to maintain a disqualification list of individuals with permanently revoked educator certificates and private school owners/operators whose authority has been permanently denied or revoked.

• Mandates school districts, charter schools, and private schools to conduct employment history checks and screen prospective employees using educator screening tools before hiring, with access to databases of terminated or resigned personnel.

• Establishes salary forfeiture penalties for school board officials and district superintendents who knowingly fail to adopt child abuse reporting policies or fail to report misconduct by educational personnel.

• Prohibits individuals on the disqualification list from employment at any public or private school and makes violating this prohibition a felony of the third degree.

• Requires immediate suspension of instructional personnel or school administrators when allegations of misconduct affecting student health, safety, or welfare are received, with removal from positions requiring direct student contact during proceedings.